57645 - Structure and Properties of the Polymers

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will be able to address the main correlations between structure and properties in polymeric materials, with a particular focus on materials with wide industrial applications and on composite structures. The student will comprehend the main physico-chemical properties, such as thermal and mechanical behaviour, of polymeric materials and will be able to correlate them with the chemical structure of the macromolecules. Moreover she/he will be able to evaluate sustainability issues concerning polymers from renewable resources and biodegradable polymers. The student should also acquire competencies regarding the application of the main industrially relevant polymers as a function of their properties.

Course contents

Requirements:

In order to successfully attend this course, the student should have a good background in the fundamentals of the polymer chemistry, spanning from the synthesis to the main properties of macromolecular materials. The student should also know the basics of the main industrial formation processes. These competencies are provided in the course “Polymer Science and Laboratory” (67067, 10cfu) and they will be briefly revised.

Program:

1. Structure of macromolecules:

• Introduction;
• The history of polymeric materials;
• Production and consumption;
• Circular Economy and polymers recycle;
• Polymers:configuration, conformation; chain and step polymerization.

2. Polymeric solids and their properties:

• Amorphous and semi-crystalline polymers;
• Macromolecular conformation, molecular orientation;
• Gglass transition temperature;
• Crystallization processes, crystallinity and melting temperature.

3. Mechanical properties of amorphous and semi-crystalline polymers.

• Stress-strain diagrams;
• Young modulus;
• Mechanical properties of thermoplastics;
  
• Structure-properties correlation in polymeric materials.

4. Thermoplastic polymers:

• Viscoelastic behavior;
• Creep and stress relaxation;
• Time-temperature superposition.
  

5. Elastomers:

• Structural requirements;
• Natural rubber, synthetic rubbers, thermoplastic elastomers.

6. Poymeric fibers:

• Structural requirements;
• Pinning methods;
• Natural fibers: properties and processing;
• Artificial fibers: properties and processing;
  
• Synthetic fibers: properties and processing.

7. Thermosetting polymers:

• Curing process;
• Gelation and vitrification;
• Kinetics of the curing process;
• Case studies: epoxy resin, etc.

8. Additives and stabilizers for polymeric materials.

9. Sustainable polymers:

• Sustainable economy;
• Green chemistry;
• Bio-plastic;
• Biodegradable polymers;
• Polymers from renewable resources;
• Degradation of polymeric materials.
• Recycle of polymeric materials;
• Example of bio-polymers: PLA and PHA.

10. Structure-properties correlation:

• Review of the different polymeric materials and detailed study of structure-properties correlations.
  

Readings/Bibliography

AIM - Fondamenti di Scienza dei Polimeri, Pacini Editore, 2003, Pisa

AIM - Fondamenti di struttura, proprietà e tecnologia dei polimeri, Edizioni Nuova Cultura, 2012, Roma

N.G. McCrum, C.P. Buckley, C.B. Bucknall - Principles of Polymer Engineering, Oxford Science Publications, second edition, 1997

The Power Point Presentations will be available on IOL platform.

Teaching methods

Room lectures with the aid of power point presentation.

Students with DSA or disabilities can contact Servizio Studenti con Disabilità e DSA dell’Università di Bologna(http://www.studentidisabili.unibo.it/ [http://http/www.studentidisabili.unibo.it/], Italian only), the Department contact person (Prof. Giorgio Bencivenni, giorgio.bencivenni2@unibo.it [mailto:giorgio.bencivenni2@unibo.it] ) or directly the teacher to address the most convenient approach for accessing teaching materials and supports, and to gain access to all the convenient services and areas of the Departments (i.e. room for frontal lectures).

Assessment methods

Learning assessment is based on oral examination at the end of the course which will assess:

- the knowledge of the main properties of polymeric materials;

- the knowledge and comprehension of properties-structure correlations;

- the knowledge of the main classes of industrially relevant polymers and their application, as a function of their properties.

Teaching tools

Power point presentation.

Office hours

See the website of Tiziana Benelli